


The Seige at Woody's

by bjfic_archivist



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canon, Points of View
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-12-22
Updated: 2006-04-09
Packaged: 2018-12-27 00:57:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12070482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bjfic_archivist/pseuds/bjfic_archivist
Summary: The gang are caught in a hostage situation at Woody's after a group of bank robbers bungle a robbery and end up hidng out in Woody's.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Note from IrishCaelan, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Brian_Justin_Fanfiction_Archive). To preserve the archive, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in September 2017. I posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [The Brian/Justin Fanfiction Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/bjfic/profile).

  
Author's notes: Just an idea I began to play around with and a chance for me to explore different POV. First time I ever tried to do it this way. Also a chance to explore the way the gang tend to depend on Brian in time of extemis.  


* * *

Michael’s POV

I watch Brian as he attempts to protect his ‘Sunshine’, Hell he tries to protect us all as he speaks to the men with the guns.

‘Fuck he is even fucking flirting with one of the gunmen. Only Brian Kinney would think of trying that.’

The evening started off as all the others have for so long it seems like forever now.

Brian, Emmet, Ted and I were playing pool, with Justin giving ‘helpful’ advice from the sidelines.

Thank God Ben isn’t here! Oh shit, Ben will hear about it on the news. Shit he’ll be so worried. Fuck how are they gonna stop ma from storming the joint?’

Anyway we were busy playing pool and listening to Brian pay out Ted and laughing and kidding around when we heard these loud noises from the streets.

I said that I thought that they sounded like gunshots, Brian laughed at me kissed me quickly on the mouth and told me I was pathetic.

That was when these four men with hoods on burst through the door to Woody’s waving these massive cannons around at everyone and telling us all to stop screaming.

Brian took one look at the men and practically threw Justin behind the bar, ordering him to stay there in a low and serious voice.

 

Justin’s POV

Ouch, fuck I must have landed on my head. What the fuck was Brian doing?

I listen carefully before bounding to my feet. 

The look on Brian’s face.

I knew this has to be something serious, or Brian was playing the most ridiculous prank ever invented.

I decided to opt for something more serious, reluctantly. 

I had never seen Brian look that way before.

Naked and exposed and fucking terrified.

The look was gone, almost as soon as it appeared and the ‘I’m so sexy and cool you all want to have sex with me right now’ rapidly appeared in its place.

But I know Brian, I know all the tiny signs, I can read ‘the book of Brian’ fluently.

I see the forced moves as he studiously avoids looking at me tucked in behind the bar.

I look around wildly trying to find a better hiding place.

Fuck all these men have to do is just glance over the bar.

The shouting and loud noises of chairs and things being thrown against the door make the reality even more terrifying.

I could hear people moving around and Brian’s calm sexy voice trying to restore order.

Did he just offer to buy them a drink? He really does have balls as big as Lake Michigan.

I try hard to stifle my almost hysterical giggle.

Again I tried to focus my mind as it threatened to fracture apart, memories of a swish of a bat endangered my tenuous control.

I tried to form a mental picture of Brian, scared as all of us but determined to maintain his cool exterior, unconsciously and conciously seducing every eye in that room.

Not even a tremor escaped his lips as he spoke.

At last I felt my body and brain start to function and once more I looked around my tiny, temporary haven.

My eyes fell on a large cardboard box full of bottles, tricky but I knew Brian’s ruse of keeping the intruders from jumping behind the bar and discovering my hideout, could not last much longer.

I eased the box from its cache holding my breath against the slightest sound, sweat prickling on my brow, the hair on the back of my neck standing up and my shaking hands trembling with the strain.

It seemed like eons before the infinitesimal movements I made with the box bore fruit and I was eventually able to silently squeeze behind the box under the counter.

Ok, I was relatively safe, but fuck now what?  
I once more felt the bitter sting of despair flow through me.

 

Emmet’s POV

I heard the shots, I knew what they were straight away of course, no Southern bred boy could fail to know that sound.

I remembered my brothers lining up the bottles on the back fence and taking turns at shooting them off, daring me to run across their line of fire.

Even then I had held guns in abhorrence, if it is ‘people not guns that kill’ as that great organization, my daddy helps support, the NRMA, constantly tells us, then why are so many motherfuckers allowed to own guns?

I fought down my anger, trying to move nearer to Teddy as I just know he was gonna say somethin’ to make this bad situation even worse.

His eyes were wild in his ashen colored face, and his hands were wringing themselves frantically in front of him.

I saw him reach for his drink and then stop as he realized his hands were shaking so much there was no way he would have been able to drink anyway.

I had to admire Brian for his cool approach, even though I knew his heart must have been pounding as loudly as mine.

My heart jumped as one of the men hit Teddy with the butt of his gun, his piggy eyes vicious as he roared, “I said don’t move, you stupid son of a bitch!”

In movies in scenes like this you always see the hero sink gracefully to the floor.

There was nothing graceful about Teddy’s abrupt collapse, and there was no great dramatic pause in the action as his head made a sickening thud when it connected with one of the bar stools on its way to the floor. 

I fought the urge to race over to see if he was alright, knowing that this would only bring his attacker’s wrath down on my own head and accomplish nothing in return.

I decided to try to follow Brian’s lead and play it cool, try to help to defuse the situation not make it worse, but how?

Oh shit now one of the men was moving over to the bar where I had seen Brian shove Justin.

I watched as Brian went to move to interrupt the guy, my heart in my mouth as I saw one of the other masked intruders lift his gun to cover Brian.

Fuck, now what?

Well what would any well bred Southern Belle, or in my case Queen do in my situation?

I let out a small, delicate moan and gracefully swooned to the floor, lying as close to Teddy as I dared and keeping my eyes shut for good effect.

 

Brian’s POV

Typical Emmet, what a drama queen!

I sent a silent word of thanks, as I noted that all eyes were now turned to his seemingly unconscious body.

I vaulted effortlessly over the bar, grabbing four shot glasses and slamming them down onto the bar.

“Well, what’ll it be boys? Drinks are on me.”

I looked with one eyebrow raised at the obvious leader.

The one who had lifted his gun to aim at my head the moment I even looked like heading over to the bar, just before Emmet did his wonderful fainting trick.

Aha, there it was that slight shift of the feet the almost unconscious moving of his hand to his crotch, gay or straight this guy was definitely interested, but did that make him more or less dangerous?


	2. Chapter 2

  
Author's notes: I am trying to see the events from all people involved. It is tricky! lol. Please review, I need to know what you thought, gentle reader! :)  


* * *

Chapter 2

“I tell you my babies are in there with some maniac gunmen and you and if you don't get outta my way I'll grab your balls so tight you can sing soprano in a fucking girls school. Now fucking MOVE!”

Debbie’s shrill voice grated on the officer assigned to hold her back as he stolidly waited for Carl to come and collect her.

Carl was currently in a conference with one of the SWAT team and the mediator who had been assigned the case.

The news was grim, these guys seemed to have nothing to lose as they already had previous crimes to their names and at least two of the known perpetrators had already spent time in prison.

 

Debbie’s POV

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit”

Debbie’s previous shrill cries had turned to a low moan as she reluctantly stayed behind the solid form of the Police officer.

‘Please God don’t let anything happen to my baby, don’t let anything happen to any of my babies! I care about all of them like they were my own sons anyway.’

Debbie’s brain flashed her back to when she had first met Brian. A cheeky half smile on his face and the defensive ‘cool exterior’that had already started to become his habitual attitude. 

She remembered how even then Mikey had hung off Brian’s every word. How suddenly Mikey’s language had changed as Brian’s attitudes and mannerisms started to imprint themselves on her only son. 

She also remembered the unexplained bruises and the careful way Brian would hold himself, often after the weekend. How he would sometimes flinch involuntarily away from her touches and how she would have many sleepless nights worrying over his safety. 

How she used to berate herself for not intervening. How Brian would always shut down or employ some clever device to divert her attention when she remarked on his bruises, black eyes or sudden trips to the emergency department of the local hospital.

She thought back to the time when she finally managed to confront Brian over the incidents, explaining how she knew he kept Mikey safe from the bullies at high school and that she wanted to help keep him safe.

She would never forget the way the shutters came down over his usually warm expressive eyes and the almost palpable coldness that froze his face or the way he disappeared for weeks before he came back to the house.

The only reference he had ever made to his own problems was one time when she was bathing his bloodied face and they were actually laughing about the possibilities of scarring and again she had suggested she could help.

All pretense and levity was suddenly dropped and it felt like the actual temperature of the room itself dropped as Brian had looked deeply into Deb’s eyes with an intensity that took her breath away.

“Deb if you say one word to anyone, I’ll probably never be able to see you or Mikey again. He would make sure I wasn’t the only one who suffered. He is a mean bastard, but he is also a smart, mean bastard and he always knows where the weak spots are,” he looked meaningfully at Mikey and Debbie flet her blood run cold.

She never brought up the possibility of bringing in the authorities again.

 

She grinned to herself as she forced herself to remember the happier times when all four of her boys would ‘play’ together at Woody’s and Babylon as they grew older.

The way Justin and his Sunshine had burst onto the scene and had begun to open Brian up to his emotions. His slim beautiful body awakening Brian’s interest and his brilliance and intelligence and honesty igniting Brian’s love. She had watched as the two grew closer together as Justin managed to often painfully learn the ‘Book of Brian Kinney’.

 

“Carl!” Debbie flew into his arms as he shouldered his way past the flak-jacketed men and women surrounding the barrier.

“Tell me some good fucking news please! Has anyone managed to contact Ben yet?”

“Yeah, he’s on his way here, should be here any minute.”

“The news is not good Deb, it seems two of these guys have previous and they are all armed and dangerous.”

“Tell me something I don’t fucking know!”

Carl let Deb’s interjection pass without comment and he knew she was at her wits end with worry.

“Well there has been no contact yet and there may not be for some time, after all they have plenty of alcohol and food in there.”

“Huh, maybe with a bit of luck they’ll all get so drunk they forget about the guns and fall asleep!”

Carl gave a half grimace, half smile at Debbie’s anxious but brave face, “I don’t think that is very likely, but we can always hope.”

He said nothing of the plans to first cut the electricity and then if there was still no contact from the hostage takers then the swat team would break in the doors.

He knew if that happened the likelihood of casualties was very high.

Every one jumped as Deb’s cell phone shrilled, ‘Fool for Love’, “Shit, that’s Sunshine’s tone!”


	3. Chapter 3

  
Author's notes: Sorry about the long delays between eps! Please forgive me and make my day and review anyway! :)  


* * *

Justin’s voice crackled softly through Deb’s cell and she strained to hear every syllable, tilting the device so Carl could hear as well.

“Don’t talk, just listen, and don’t ring back! I’m hidden. Four men, I think they all have guns. I can’t see what they are doing.”

Debbie held her breath as they heard a thump and the line went silent.

“Sorry, I think that was a shot glass. Brian has them talking and drinking. You could try ringing the bar.”

“Shit, fuck!”

Debbie instinctively pulled the phone away from her ear as a loud clinking sound reverberated through the small speaker.

“Sorry Deb, there’s not much space and I just bumped the bloody box, lucky they are all making their own noises.”

Deb and Carl grimaced as they could hear the thumps and yells coming through the small phone, relieved that no one else could hear Justin’s soft sounds.

 

“Anyway, I just wanted you to know that so far we are all ok. I’m gonna wait until I can do something useful to help Brian. Just don’t let Carl’s buddies get carried away. These guys are fucking dangerous and red all over Woodie’s carpet just isn’t a good look. Gotta go I think someone is coming around behind the bar.”

“Sunshine!?” Deb’s voice echoed into the now dead mobile she was gripping tightly in her hand.

She spun around to face Carl, “What he fuck did he mean, everyone is ok, how in God’s name can they be ok when they are stuck in there with some fucking loonies with guns!”

 

 

Emmet’s POV

I pick myself up off the floor gracefully, wondering if I risk the languid hand across the brow move reminiscent of Lana Turner, when I see all eyes are on Brian holding court and sigh, ‘What’s new?’

One quick glance around the bar and I knew Brian had things relatively under control, well as much as it was possible to have a situation like this under control.

At least one guy was still over by the door watching outside, three were over by the bar, fuck me, they are actually laughing and drinking with Brian.

There must be at least a dozen shot glasses lined up on the bar.

Again I sigh, just what we need drunk guys in charge of guns.

My blood runs cold, I always wondered about that line, I mean can it really? But now I had a real frame of reference for the statement as I really felt as if ice water ran through my veins while I stared at Teddy lying on the floor, blood still trickling fitfully from the cut on his head.

A wave of nausea and dizziness threatened to send me back onto the carpet face down as I fought to gain control of my thoughts and movements.

I felt a bit like I was trying to get this puppet body of mine back under my control as all I really wanted to do was run around the room screaming, “You bastards, you’ve hurt my best friend.”

Instead I pulled myself into my best gay pride pose and sauntered up to the bar, deliberately keeping my voice low, sultry and as innocuous as possible as I drawled my request for a Cosmo.

I was so proud of the way I kept my voice steady and hoped no one would notice the way my hand shook as I fought to steady myself on the bar.

I even managed to repress the scream that threatened to rip from my throat as two of the men swung round towards me, their guns seeming somehow like an extension of their hands as they pointed them in my direction.

I really did not need Brian’s warning glance as I gave my widest, most ingenuous smile to the two men.

“Wow boys, I like the size of your weapons but I’m sure you could think of something better to do with them.”

I sucked on the tip of my finger while checking out each of their packages in turn and tried hard not to smile as they both turned a beautiful shade of magenta in front of me.

“So glad you boys decided to dispense with those ugly balaclavas, they really were not your colour and we would never have seen your cute baby blues or your darling deep brown eyes.”

By now I had managed to insinuate myself between the two gun men and had draped my arms around the two men, trying not to see the smile tugging at the corners of Brian’s mouth as he fought to conceal his laughter at my superb performance.

“Orders up!”

Brian called as he swung himself over the bar in one fluid motion.

I just have to hand it to that man, aside from moi and of course the hard metal objects now being loosely held by the men under my arms, he was the most eye attracting entity in the bar.

I held my breath as I watched the reaction of the obvious leader, who had been the clear object of Brian’s attention.

However he just seemed to smirk at Brian’s action and asked for more Tequila on the rocks.

Brian held the man’s gaze for just long enough to let him know he had a chance and then turned his attention to the various bottles arrayed on the shelves behind the bar.

He grasped the bottles indicated and grabbed a bottle of Chivas for himself, placing them on the bar in front at the gunmen.

He turned swiftly to grab some more bottles, even I never got tired of watching Brian in action, he seemed to exude sex even when making the most innocent of movements, and I could feel that I was not the only one regarding his performance with interest.

The sound of the smashing bottle therefore took us all by surprise and the resultant gunshot aged me by about fifty years.

“What the fuck?! Put the fuckin’ safety on you moron.”

The leader swung his gun around from its original position on his friend straight around to unerringly point at Brian.

Brian was busy looking down at the mess around his feet, “Fuck all over my fucking new Prada shoes!”

The leader looked confusedly at Brian as if trying to work out how someone with such obvious control and grace could possibly be such a klutz. 

 

“What the fuck are you doing?” the gravelly voice rasped out from between the man’s terse lips.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m cleaning up this fucking mess before it gets all over my fucking best shoes.”

‘You know, you have to hand it to Brian. He really is ‘the king (or queen) of cool’ not many of us would be bitching about our shoes if imminent death were staring at us in the face via a gun barrel.’

This time it was my turn to hide my smile as the leader of the intruders rolled his eyes, putting his gun back on the bar and picking up his glass, downing the shot in one hit.

We could hear the loud tinkling of the glass as Brian picked up the broken pieces.

I thought maybe I had better do more of my act so that I could draw their attention back to me and away from Brian.

I am not stupid, despite my brilliant plumage, I knew Brian was using the chance to talk to Justin and was determined to do my best to help.

Of course how was I to know that Michael would also choose this moment to make his presence known or that Teddy would start to regain consciousness and fill the bar with the sound of his moaning?

 

Michael’s POV

When I was little at school I perfected the art of being invisible.

It saved me from a lot of beatings, when Brian was not around, of course, later on, it also meant I was often overlooked by many of the great looking guys in Babylon but most talents have their drawbacks don’t they?

It proved to be a very handy skill to have in the event of a hostage crisis.

Christ, I could just imagine the headlines, ‘Gays in Hostage Crisis’.

Sounds like something Justin and I could use in our next issue of Rage.

Of course if this were really Rage, Brian, er I mean Rage would have hypnotized all the baddies with his gimlet like gaze and wrapped Zephyr in his arms and flown off dropping the bad guys in the pokey on the way.

But this isn’t Rage and Brian isn’t a Superhero, even though at the moment he is giving a really good imitation of one.

I still can’t believe he is fucking flirting with that man with the gun.

So here I stand frozen to the spot, watching and working hard on being invisible.

That is until I see Brian trying to take the chance to talk to Justin behind the bar, if his little act didn’t fool me, why does he think it will fool the ape with the gun?

Emmet is trying hard with his helpless Southern Belle act but I don’t think it is going to work this time.

Oh fuck, now Ted is coming to.

Shit these guys seem to be on a hair trigger, they’ve all trained their guns on poor Ted.

What do they think he is going to do to them, bleed on their shoes?

Well here goes nothing, I clear my throat just to make sure it is still working and deliberately pull all eyes onto me, “So what are your intentions, guys?”


	4. Chapter 4

  
Author's notes: So sorry once more that these stories are becoming so disjointed because I am taking such a long time between updates, I have good intentions, honest! OK so I am going to Hell! lol Thanks to all of you who persevere, please review and let me know how you feel it is going.  


* * *

Emmet’s POV

I just could not help rolling my eyes at Michael’s statement. Could he have thought of a worse thing to say? Even my dumbest brother back in Hazelhurst Mississippi, the one who didn’t have the sense to come into the shelter when a tornado was coming, just stood right there, hand out, feeling the rain pouring down, would not have said that and he was dumber than our dog.

I felt the hairs on the back of my neck rise as I looked in horror at Michael. What did he think he was doing? These men were already jumpy and the last thing we wanted them to think about was to question their ‘intentions’. I am sure that this situation was not what they ‘intended’ for their future and that thought just might lead them to think that there might not be a future for any of us at all.

By now we knew there had to be police negotiators and probably SWAT teams outside our darling Woody’s and here was Michael reminding them of that fact.

All eyes and weapons swung around to him and none of them looked particularly friendly.

 

“What the fuck do you think are our ‘intentions’?” one of the goons growled in Michael’s direction, almost spitting the final word out, his gun coming up to menace Michael.

I swallowed hard, wracking my brain to try to think of some way to retrieve the situation.

At least now no one seemed to be thinking about Brian right now.

Michael also swallowed hard, or tried to, he felt like Mount Rushmore had suddenly lodged itself in his throat, complete with every president’s head.

He desperately looked everywhere but at the gun pointing steadily at him.

“I, er, I, er, I mean, have you thought about what your demands are going to be. Ummm, I, er, that is, we, well me really, I write comics and I know how this stuff is supposed to go.”

He looked nervously at the phone sitting on the counter, “There should be a phone call any minute now.”

Michael looked down at his shoes and twisted the hem of his Rage tee shirt, praying he had said the right thing.

‘Fuck this. I’m not Brian! He’s the one with the golden tongue. He’s the one who can charm the birds, or tricks from the trees! Come on Carl, do your stuff and get us out of here!’

 

Justin’s POV

“NO! Brian I will not leave you here! I can’t” Justin’s voice changed from a fierce whisper to a painful plea and Brian felt his heart lurch in response.

Brian reached out automatically stretching his arm over the box with the empty bottles that was semi-concealing Justin, taking care not to let them clank together. He ran his fingers through his hair; he could not resist the temptation to revel in the feather like texture just one more time.

“Jus we don’t have time for this now. You have to go if I can give you the chance. You can tell the police all the details they need to know about this place and us! You have to go Jus!”

Brian’s earnest hazel eyes drilled into Justin’s eyes, which were bright with tears, trying to convey without words that he needed Justin safe. 

He could not bear the thought of Justin in danger, he couldn’t think, he couldn’t plan, he couldn’t be himself.

 

‘Fuck it Brian, why do you think if you can’t bear for me to be in danger I don’t feel the same. I am not going to cry!’

A tear spilled over and Justin leaned into Brian’s hand as he caressed his face and tenderly wiped away the errant tear with his thumb.

Brian worked to avoid the pleading look.

“I’m gonna get everyone over to the pool table and away from the bar. When I start to cough loudly you have to get out the door and out through the back. OK?”

Justin nodded slightly while silently thinking, ‘Ok? You’ve got to be kidding me! Nothing about this is OK!’

He tried to quiet his rampaging thoughts as Brian drew him in for a fleeting but emotion filled kiss. 

Brian straightened up reaching swiftly behind himself for another bottle of tequila and a bottle of Chivas Regal from the top shelf.

He smiled at Michael who was looking like a wilting hothouse flower under the scrutiny of the armed men in front of him.

Again Brian vaulted effortlessly and gracefully back over the bar and again all eyes turned to him, no one noticed Michael’s sigh of relief or the way he sagged gratefully back onto the bar, thankful once more to be invisible.

“So what about a round of pool?” Brian grinned as he threw his arm confidently around the leader.

Unfortunately, at that exact second, Woody’s was plunged into darkness and the sudden silence became almost palpable. The only movement, the lights from the police cars parked outside, shining through the slats, changing their faces eerily from stripy red to stripy blue like some overly dramatic horror movie.

Emmet could not repress a slight scream and Michael gasped as the lights went out, the soft shushing of the air conditioner stopped and at the same time the silence was rent by the shrill, demanding tone of the phone.

“Fuck!”

Brian tried not to flinch as he felt the cold metal pressed to his temple.

He desperately hoped the gunman beside him could not see the sweat forming on his brow.

He could feel his skin crawl as if it were trying to leave his body, flinching away from that circle pressing firmly against it.

His eyes slid around to try to meet the eyes of the man threatening him.

He instinctively knew if he moved his head even an inch he would die.

He ran his tongue along his lips and employed every trick he could think of to engage the man’s attention onto his personality and not on the deadly situation that suddenly seemed to be spinning out of control.

‘Thank God!’ Brian finally allowed himself to breathe as he noticed the leader unconsciously echo his lip movements, feeling the pressure against him decrease almost infinitesimally.

Again the phone rent the air.

Brian slowly turned his head, looking the gunman straight in the eyes, “Are you gonna get that, or do you want me to do it?”

“Why don’t we let the flaming fucking fairy get it, while you keep the gun on Mr Fantastic there, boss? That way if we don’t like what we hear him tell us, you can shoot him straight away and save time?”


	5. Chapter 5

  
Author's notes: Please forgive the lengthy gap between updates adn my hypocracy when I continually ask other authors for quick updates but don't do it myself! RL, the flu and a nasty case of blockage all took their toll! Hope you enjoy and forgive me! Please review, even if to revile! :)  


* * *

Chapter 5

   
   


Justin’s POV

   


Justin tried to continue making himself as small as was possible in the cramped space he inhabited.

   


His arms and legs were becoming almost unbearably cramped from their restricted pose and he longed to just stretch out.

   


‘Yeah great thinking, Jus! Here is Brian with a gun pointing at him and I’m fucking thinking of my legs!

   


If I don’t do something soon I am gonna fucking start screaming and I just might never stop.’

   


He could feel that monumental scream building in his throat threatening to choke him and drown every rational thought.

   


‘Ok, if you can’t do anything to help the guys then do what you can do and that has to be get out of this fucking crawl space from behind these fucking bottles and escape, tell Carl what is happening and get Brian and the others out of this shit!’

   


Again Justin felt the panic try to settle like a fog over his thoughts and again he fought the urge while moving the box an infinitesimal move at a time.

   


He listened to the threatening voices and held his breath when the electricity was turned off and the phone rang.

   


The flashing blue and red lights seemed to portend impending doom as they slowly and hypnotizingly rotated around the room; turning each object they touched into eerie threatening colours.

   


‘Fuck, now what?’

   


He could picture the gun pointed at Brian; the thought made his stomach revolt.

   


He turned his attention back to the cardboard box, inching it slowly forwards as he tried to block the sick feeling inside.

   


His hair was standing on end as he at last moved the box just enough to allow him to race to the back door behind the bar and freedom but not enough to be seen if anyone happened to casually glance over the bar.

 

   
   


Emmet’s POV

   


‘O God, Oh God, Oh God, I can barely hear Carl’s voice above the pounding of my heart and my eyes seem unable to see anything other than the black monstrosity pushing against Brian’s temple.’

   


“Carl?” I gulp the words out hoping against hope that somehow he will work a miracle and get us all safely out of this mess.

   


I glance nervously at Teddy’s now still body, I can see his chest still rising and falling but I’m very worried about the colour of his face, I’m sure that shade of gray is not a good sign.

   


Even when the gun is pressing against his crawling flesh Brian manages to maintain a cool exterior, I have to tip my hat to the man, sweat is dripping from my brow and I know my eyes must be wide in my head. I cannot seem to stop my hands from shaking.

   


‘Concentrate, Emmet, just breathe and listen to Carl’s voice.’

   


“Emmet. Are you ok? I just want you to answer yes or no. That way we are not giving away any information. Ok?”

   


I gulped, trying to clear the way to let my voice out in something other than a scream or a pitiful whisper. I remind myself I am not a pussy, I am a proud flaming Southern boy and I can handle any fucking thing.

   


“Y- yes Carl I can hear you. I have to tell the gunmen everything you say. They have a gun pointed at Brian as we speak and they said if they don’t like the way the conversation goes, they will shoot him.” 

   


Try as I might I just cannot stop my voice from rising and breaking on the last phrase.

   


I heard Carl sigh in sympathy.

   


“Tell them we want to know their demands. At the same time try to tell me how many men are there.” I could tell Carl was trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

   


“Er, they want to know what you three men want?” 

   


I was proud of how steady my voice was and felt a little better as I saw the gun move slightly away from Brian and the leader turned to face me.

   


“What do we want? What do the stupid motherfuckers think we want? We want food, money and transport out of this hell hole!”

   


I grimaced at his outraged tone and only just stopped myself from rolling my eyes. How did he think he got into this predicament? Magic? It was his choice to rob the bank and his choice to run into Woody’s and his choice to keep us hostage! I thought it prudent not to remind him just then however.

   


One of the other ruffians, still leant on the bar, his eyes never leaving Michael and Ted as he raised his gruff voice, “I want some pizza, or maybe a burger and lots of fries!”

   


“Yeah pizza, with lots of chilli, meat and dripping with cheese!” the other chimed in.

   


‘My God they can speak,’ the odd thought flew through my head unbidden.

   


I was just about to relay the order to Carl when Brian’s irritated voice interrupted, “I’m not eating that fucking shit!”

   


I held my breath, waiting either for laughter or a bullet and not sure which was more likely.

   


Fortunately the leader dropped the gun to his side and threw his other arm around Brian’s shoulder, “I don’t know whether you have bigger cahones than a Brahma bull or you are just plain stupid.”

   


His eyes looked into Brian’s lethal hazel orbs, ‘Aha, I thought, you are a gonner!’

   


His hesitation was just long enough to be obvious to Brian and of course me but short enough to go unnoticed by his henchmen.

   


“So pretty man, what do you want? Quiche? Frog’s legs?”

   


“Well,” Brian’s eyes raked down the other man’s body, I hid my grin as I watched the ‘straight’ man’s body respond to the look.

   


Brian ran the tip of his tongue lightly along his top lip, “I just feel like the taste of . . .”

   


The whole room held their breath as they watched in wonder as the seduction took place before their very eyes.

   


Brian dropped his gaze to the straining zip in the jeans of the leader, the gun now completely forgotten, dangling at his side.

   


He rolled his lips together as if already sampling the other man’s goods.

   


“Thai food.”

   


The low moan from the gathered men, was that Michael’s voice as well, was almost drowned by my voice as I relayed the request to Carl, asking for pizza, burgers, fries and, I cast my eyes to the leader’s silently asking and receiving assent to Brian’s request, Thai food.

   


I think at that point he would have agreed to anything.

   


I listened to Carl’s voice again.

   


“So how many is that order for?”

   


“Well, there are the three men, Teddy, Michael, Brian and me.”

   


I squealed as the phone flew from my hand, only to be slammed down onto the receiver.

   


“You were told to tell them what we want. Do not try to tell them anything else, or your friend here is history.”

   


This time the gun was pointed at Michael.

   


I didn’t think it was possible to go that white and still remain standing but somehow Michael managed it.

   
   


The leader luckily still had his arm around Brian and seemed reluctant to remove it as Brian surreptitiously slid his hand along his spine, heightening the attraction even more, it that was at all possible.

   


The other man cleared his throat as if trying to break the spell, I felt like telling him to stop wasting his time, other, better, stronger men than him had tried to resist Brian’s charms I was yet to see one succeed.

   


Brian slipped his arm around the other man’s back; “Why don’t you take that stupid mask off, it must be hot and prickly under there and you can put it back on before you leave.”

   


The words were purred into the leader’s ear like honey and he seemed to be so focused on the sensation that it took a few seconds for the meaning to penetrate.

   


He shook his head slightly, “Well yeah it is a bit uncomfortable and probably useless and the cops surely already know who we are. Ok guys we might as well take the fucking things off.”

   


The other’s looked at their leader as he removed his balaclava and then followed suit. 

   


They didn’t look nearly as scary without the stupid headgear, how ever did balaclavas ever become fashionable for robberies? They do nothing for the hair when they come off! No wonder there are so few gay bank robbers!

   


Brian looked at the dark haired man, still absently rubbing his hand up and down his back under his jacket.

   


I noticed the hand dropping down just a bit further each stroke.

   


“Much better, how about a friendly game of pool?”

   


Again the words were poured into the unsuspecting victim’s ear like sweet, warm molasses and again he responded exactly as expected.

   


He swallowed and you could see him struggle to control his voice, “Okay.”

   


I couldn’t believe it. He put the gun down on the bar and followed Brian like a little lamb.

   


I glanced nervously at the others to try to gauge their reaction but they were obviously as surprised as me and unsure how to react.

   


Brian nonchalantly racked up the balls, “So you, what is your name anyway, and me against Emmet and who?”

   


All eyes were now trained on the pool table, although one man still leant on the bar.

   


Michael remained where he was seemingly frozen to that spot.

   
   


Brian’s POV

   


‘Fuck Sunshine, remember the signal. I’ve done my bit now it is up to you to do yours. One of us has to survive this fucking fiasco.’

   


‘Now!’ I thought to myself as I coughed loudly.

   
   
   


Justin’s POV

   


‘Oh fuck! That’s the signal. It is now or never! Shit why do I feel as if all my limbs are made of lead?’

   


I try to fly over to the back door that leads to the storeroom behind the bar and from there to freedom.

   


I trip slightly as race to gain my balance, stand and run to the door, my cramped limbs slowing me down and forcing me to stumble erratically.

   


My heart stops as I reach for the handle only to feel cold steel pressed to the back of my head.

   


“Well, well and what have we here?”

   


The jeering voice seems to make my heart plummet even further than before.

   


I freeze as the sinking feeling that comes with complete failure flows through my entire being.

   


‘Fuck! I’ve let Brian down!’


End file.
